How long does it take to build a website?

A simple website with a few pages can be online within two weeks, as long as your texts and photos are ready. What takes the most time is usually not the building. It's gathering the content: everything that will be on your site.

Where the time actually goes

Building a website has three parts. Only the last one is really technical work.

• The content. Text for every page, photos and your logo. Without content, a website is an empty shell. This part often takes the longest, because you have to do it next to your normal work.
• Decisions and feedback. Which pages do you want? What should be at the top? And when you see a first version: what needs to change? The faster those answers come, the faster the work moves on.
• The technical side. Installing WordPress, building the pages, making sure everything works on mobile and desktop, testing the contact form. That's our job. For a one-pager or a site of up to 5 pages, it fits within the two-week schedule.

So when a project runs late, it's usually because content is missing or a decision is pending, not because of the technical work. Still wondering whether to build the site yourself with a website builder? Read WordPress vs Wix first. With a website builder, you do all of these steps yourself.

How it works with us

For a one-pager ($299.99) or a site of up to 5 pages ($499.99), the schedule looks like this. You can see exactly what you get on our page about having a WordPress website built.

Day 1: getting to know each other

A free 30-minute video call. You tell us what you do, who for, and what the site needs to do for you. We ask what you already have ready: texts, photos, a logo, a domain name. You don't need to travel anywhere. We work online with businesses all over the Netherlands, in English or Dutch.

Day 2: a fixed price

You get a proposal with one price. No hourly rate, so you know where you stand before anything starts. We only begin once you agree.

Day 3 to 12: building

As soon as your texts and photos are in, we build the site. Along the way, we show you how it's looking. So you can follow along and tell us what to change before the site goes live. You have one fixed contact person the whole time.

Day 14: online

Your site goes live and we walk you through it in plain English. After that, you can edit your texts and photos yourself.

The two weeks start once you've agreed and your texts and photos are ready. If they come in later, the schedule moves with them. That's why we don't give a fixed launch date while the content isn't there yet.

What you provide

The more you have ready at the start, the shorter the project. This is what you need:

• Text for each page. Who you are, what you do, who it's for and what it costs. No texts yet, or not sure how to put it into words? We can help you write or rewrite them. We'll discuss that in the first call. If you're a coach or therapist, this overview of what to put on a coaching or therapy website helps with the writing.
• Photos. Ideally your own photos of yourself, your premises, your work or your products. Make sure you're allowed to use them. If you don't have suitable photos, we can pick licensed stock photos for you.
• Your logo and brand colours, if you have them.
• A domain name and hosting in your own name. You buy these yourself from a hosting provider of your choice. We don't sell hosting. You give us access so we can put the site online. That way, the domain and the website always stay yours. Don't have a provider yet? Hostinger is an option we recommend. We're a Hostinger partner: with our referral link you get 20% off a new plan of 12 months or longer. Curious about the costs? Read what a domain and hosting cost per year.
• Practical details. Phone number, email address, service area, opening hours, prices: everything customers should be able to find on your site. Running a restaurant? Send your menu as text, not as a PDF. We explain why in what to include on a restaurant website.
• Examples. Two or three websites you like or find easy to use, with a short note on why. That tells us more than a description like "modern and clean".

What speeds things up, and what slows them down

Things go faster when:

• your texts and photos are ready before we start;
• one person makes the decisions, even if more people in the business have a say;
• you send your feedback in one go, in one message, rather than spread over a few days;
• your domain name and hosting are already arranged.

Delays are often caused by:

• texts that still need to be written;
• missing photos, or photos where it's unclear whether you're allowed to use them;
• waiting for access to the domain or hosting;
• lots of separate rounds of changes, or new wishes halfway through.

New wishes are always possible. If you want an extra page, for example, you hear first what it costs ($49.99 per page) and what it means for the schedule.

Webshop or redesign: why that's different

The two weeks apply to a one-pager and a site of up to 5 pages. For a webshop or a redesign, we agree on the schedule after the first call. Not to stay vague, but because the amount of work varies a lot from project to project.

Webshop. A webshop involves more: products with photos, prices and descriptions, and payments with iDEAL, the Dutch online bank payment, through WooCommerce. How many products you have and whether that information is ready largely decides how long it takes. After launch, you manage your products yourself. Read more about getting a webshop built.

Redesign. If you already have a website, we rebuild it. Your content moves over and old links keep working, so visitors can still find your pages. How long it takes depends on the number of pages and on what needs to change. Read how it works if you want to redesign your existing website. Is your current site mainly slow? Then also read why a website can be slow.

After launch

Once it's live, the website is yours, with all files and login details. You can edit your texts and photos yourself; we'll show you how.

A WordPress site does need regular updates after that. You can do them yourself. If you'd rather not think about it, there's maintenance: we keep WordPress and your plugins up to date, make a backup every week and check the security. It starts at $19.99 a month, and you can cancel any month. It's an option, not a requirement.

So a site with a few pages can be online within two weeks. Whether that works out depends mostly on what's ready. Have a rough idea of what you need? Request a quote and you'll see the price straight away.